Yellow Light
by 3iggy
Summary: "Just follow my yellow light and ignore all those big warning signs." My 3 part ode to autumn.
1. Chapter 1

Summer is dragging on for me and I don't know about you fine folks, but I'm so over it. Fall always invokes the Goblin King for me and I find he is sneaking around in my head again. (Even though I've yet to finish my other work in progress, he's no help there at the moment). So, here's an early nod to the Holly King and our favorite Goblin King AND Of Monsters and Men whose lyrics can always pull a Laby short from me. The following story was inspired by it's namesake song 'Yellow Light.'

* * *

I'm looking for a place to start and everything feels so different now  
 _Just grab a hold of my hand I will lead you through this wonderland  
_ Water up to my knees but sharks are swimming in the sea  
 _Just follow my yellow light and ignore all those big warning signs_

It was one of those once in a lifetime do or die moments. The air had turned bitterly cold. Summer was retreating quickly before the oncoming threat of autumn and I was hurrying out of the theatre's front entrance into the darkening twilight. Somehow I was the last cast member out that night, I'd spent too much time washing off my makeup and re-braiding my hair. The theatre was a lovely, mysterious, place at night- especially when it was empty-but there was something frightening about the lonely space. It had a fierce kind of loneliness.

A yellow light glowed from the elderly streetlamps that guarded the pathway to my part of town. The walk was deserted—only starlight and the weeping wind were witnesses to my passing. Leaves caught fire in the fading light of day as they swayed and fell. I tried to keep my watering eyes on my feet. I knew the path through the park like the back of my hand, I'd walked it a trillion times so there was no need to watch where I was going. Perhaps if I'd been more observant I'd have realized that it had grown dark and I was no closer to home.

Somewhere deep in the dark a howling beast hears us talk  
 _I dare you to close your eyes and see all the colours in disguise  
_ Running into the night the earth is shaking and I see a light  
 _The light is blinding my eyes as the soft walls eat us alive_

The ticking alerted me to the danger. _Tick_. The sound echoed across the night striking a cold fear into my heart. My head snapped up at the sound. Wildly, my eyes took in the strange scene. Trees still towered above me and the night wind continued to snatch at my hair, but the sky was full of blazing stars—unknown constellations—and music danced in the air. Or maybe it was magic. Dancing magic.

 _Ignore all those big warning signs._


	2. Part 2: We Sink

_HA!_ No **Babe** I am not dead! And, thank you much for the kind words **Aurora Kemanche** and tmwillson3! While reviews are not necessary, they are certainly encouraging. They let me know that I'm doing something right...or wrong...either way is good and very educational. Enjoy! The final part will be full of favorite Kingly banter! Oh, I love Kingly banter. Oh, and the song is We Sink by OMAM.-3iggy

* * *

 _All those eyes on me  
_ _As I sink into the open sea  
_ _Colour in my sheltered mind  
_ _Fill the gap between you and I_

Magic. There are many kinds of magic. The most common type is the day-to-day magic—a child's laugh, sunshine on freckles, and books for rainy days. This sort of magic is often taken for granted by most people, I was once one of them. However, the magic dancing on the air that night was a different kind entirely. That magic could turn pumpkins into gilded carriages and beasts into handsome princes or even baby brothers to goblins. It was a wild willful thing and it had found me once again.

Shadows played about the moonlit trees as the scents of pine and heather teased my nose. The shadows were empty. There was no flash of crystal or hint of sharp white teeth to be found. There was nothing, only the ethereal sound of a ticking clock. _Tick_.

Relief and something akin to disappointment rushed through me. The Goblin King was not in that in-between place. He had not brought me here. There was something flimsy about the world I inhabited, it wasn't whole. Beyond the point where I stood the path twisted into the twilight forest. It extended into a world filled with the earthy scent of magic and the ever ticking clock. Behind me glowed the sickly lights of streetlamps and the browning pine needles that laced my usual trail home. I could turn around and forget about all of this. Yet, every resounding tick plucked at my soul, pulled me toward its source. It was irresistible.

 _We are the sleepers  
_ _We bite our tongues  
_ _We set the fire  
_ _And we let it burn  
_ _Through the dreamers  
_ _We hear the hum  
_ _They say "Come on, come on let's go"  
_ _So come on, come on let's go_

Without a single glance over my shoulder at safety I walked forward into the uncertain night. Every step carried me farther into the concrete realm of magic. My eyes caught sight of colors for which I had no names. The stars blazed with a strength that daunted my mortal mind as the wind caressed my face. Never had the air seemed like such an intimate acquaintance. Nearly every sense I possessed was humming with new life when the first true notes of music rang in my ears. The ticking receded into the background of the glorious sound.

My pace quickened and I hesitated only a moment before plunging into a dark hedge. The trees were old and had grown tall, intertwining their branches until they formed a formidably gothic tunnel. Lights, like fireflies, twinkled throughout the thick shrubbery bordering the path. I was so intent upon following the music that I hardly heard the soft lilting voice that whispered in my ear midway through.

"Hey, owiee. You can't go in looking like that." The sugary sweet voice said.

"Umm, excuse me?" I shook my head to clear my thoughts. They were completely muddled by beckoning chords. And, I had no idea where the voice had come from.

"Those clothes are ridiculous." A small twinkling light wafted in front of my face. I blinked and looked harder at it. The light was nothing like a firefly. It was a small naked woman with flaming red hair.

"What would you know about clothes?" I tried not to smile. Years had passed since I'd last seen anything resembling a fairy, but I knew that some of them had bites worse than their barks.

 _Humpht_. The tiny woman set her fists on her ample hips. "Better to go without them at all than to look all frumpy like you do." She hissed.

"Please don't be offended. I am sorry, but I don't have anything else to wear." I gestured hopelessly to my wool sweater and leggings shoved into my old well-worn boots. Frumpy may have been a fair adjective.

"Are you sure?" She tilted her head at me while fingering the strap of my forgotten backpack.

"Well…" I sat quickly on a gnarled root of one of the ancient trees and pulled the zipper. An unfamiliar package was neatly nestled amongst my script and water bottle. Cautiously I tugged it out of the bag and gave it a thorough looking over. It appeared perfectly innocuous. The wrapping came off in a jiffy revealing a scarlet gown and small card that read _Happy Early Birthday Sarah_ \- Luna. It was a gift from the costume designer. She had seen me ogling a similar one months earlier. "This is oddly auspicious." I frowned.

"It is fortunate. Reds, greens, golds, yellows, and oranges will be favored this eve. Though some may get away with browns." The fairy smiled charmingly. "You will need some holly for your hair. A crown of green and red." She darted off into the trees as I became aware of what I was doing.

Cold dream-shattering fear welled up in my stomach. I had no earthly clue where or what I'd ventured into. Once more I'd allowed my feet to pull me into a mess. "What am I doing?" I asked the branches above me.

"The Holly King returns tonight. We are here to celebrate you silly twit." The fairy dropped a leafy circlet upon my knees. "Don't you know anything?" She rolled her eyes.

"The Holly King?" I asked.

"The King of Winter. Hurry, hurry, you'll be late! Don't you hear the clock?" She waved and drifted off toward the tree-tunnel's end.

"I suppose I should get dressed." I mumbled the ticking had extracted itself from the music once more. _Tick._

Years of theatre had taught me to change quickly and cautiously. I yanked the wool sweater over my head and pulled on the dress before wiggling out of my leggings and tank-top. The boots I stuffed in my bag. I'd have to go barefoot. Luckily, the cold was not nearly so unbearable here. I felt it just as surely as I had coming out of the theatre earlier that evening, but I didn't feel the need to heed it, or ward against it.

My bag was conspicuous so I stuffed it into the hollow of a tree near the mouth of the path. Wearily, I tiptoed to the end and took a look.

 _It's warm, the skin I'm living in  
_ _It creates and shapes what is within  
_ _So please look away, don't look at me  
_ _As we sink into the open sea_

The sky opened up above a broken dome of tree branches like the ceiling of some wild vaulted cathedral. A pale ghostly light faintly illuminated the scene. Creatures of all shapes and sizes cavorted around the clearing. Some looked demurely similar to me. They were tall, fair, and dark-haired women and men, but little things marked them as non-humans such a pointed earlobe or slit pupil. Small people like my fairy floated or danced upon the ground. Music flowed about the space like another guest and tables filled with the spicy scents of cinnamon and nutmeg lined the outer circles.

Commanding the most attention was a throne of twisted ivy at the end farthest from me. Although no one occupied the festive seat, the merrymakers left a respectful circumference of space between it and themselves. _Tick_. A large pine clock stood directly beyond the throne beckoning me to join in the celebration.

I was in the midst of it before I could formulate a sensible reason to avoid drawing attention to myself. But, no one seemed to notice me, at least not in a way that hinted at my being unwelcome or intrusive.

 _We are the sleepers  
_ _We bite our tongue  
_ _We set the fire  
_ _And we let it burn  
_ _Through the dreamers  
_ _We hear the hum  
_ _They say "Come on, come on, let's go"  
_ _So come on, come on, let's go_

The dancing began as if some sudden cue had signaled everyone. A sea of green, gold, and red shivered like leaves in an autumn breeze as the dancers moved. I stood back reflectively from the ritual at first, not comprehending the steps or knowing the moves, but improvisation was a game I was good at, so I only hung on the sidelines for a few nervous moments. Being the only attendee standing like a wallflower would only have served to make me conspicuous.

Initially, I felt foolish. The immortal dancers were graceful and moved together like clockwork in their spiraling, fluttering, ritual. Everything meddled to form a perfect sound, a perfect image. Even the clock's consistent ticking joined the music and sounds of moving bodies. After catching the first few steps of the dance, I allowed my thoughts and fears to wander. The other dancers smiled at me and took my hands as we spun our circles and flowed through the intricate patterns of the dance. Excitement animated my arms and legs as the tempo quickened. A manic smile curved my lips as I let everything go. I was not Sarah Williams, but a leaf in the air, a touch of frost. I just danced.

The dance may have lasted for centuries. I was so engaged in the transcendent whirling that the creeping, chilly sensation of being watched hardly dawned on my conscious mind until my eyes locked with an icy gaze across the clearing. An unforgettable smirk was settling beneath that pair of roguish eyes.

 _I know that it's a waste of time  
_ _Chasing in the dark  
_ _But keep me in your clouded mind  
_ _Until time ignites a spark_


	3. Part 3: Wolves Without Teeth

Hey folks! Thanks again for reading and reviewing this quick (and I would say somewhat unoriginal and cliche) little story. I do believe that these two incarnations of our favorite duo may make a few more appearances. As always, the GK does what he wants in my stories and I cannot quite contain him.

Without further adieu.

* * *

 _Open my chest and colour my spine  
_ _I'm giving you all  
_ _I'm giving you all  
_ _Swallow my breath  
_ _And take what is mine  
_ _I'm giving you all  
_ _I'm giving you all_

How had I missed my erstwhile foe? Nothing about him had changed, but I was terribly different. My fifteen year old heart had known him simply as an obstacle, a gamekeeper, and cheat. Yet my adult eyes measured him by a different scale.

The Goblin King was dashing in crimson. His blood-red coat brought out the angles and planes of his face while drawing attention to his fierce eyes. To look at him and remember to breathe was difficult. Mesmerized, I watched the threatening smirk that he wore slip into an openly dangerous smile. In the blink of an eye he melted into the crowd and I was left with a belly full of knots as I attempted to remember how to move my feet in time with the changing music.

The tune had shifted and the steps were rearranged. Circles became pairs and partners were passed rapidly to and fro. With every turn I expected to be thrown into the waiting arms of the Goblin King. But, he was ever elusive. Here and there I'd catch sight of a crimson jacket only to find the owner possessed dark hair or green, brown, or even amber eyes. I more closely resembled the immortals than Jareth did with his pale hair and flashing blue eyes. He should have stuck out like a wolf in a fox den.

Every tick of the clock sent shivers up my spine. It was nearly impossible to keep from stumbling—I was so intent on spying him in the crowd. I needed to know where he was. At one point the music hit a crescendo and a strong pair of hands seized my waist launching me into the air in a graceful twirl of skirts. Butterflies swarmed in my gut as I looked down certain that I had fallen into the clutches of the Labyrinth's master. But, it was just another step in the dance. Three more times I was lifted into the air just to be set back down on my own two feet. Each and every time I feared the moment that I'd see my partner's face. It was never him.

On the fourth such lift I took the opportunity to search the crowd as I was hefted into the air. I was beginning to believe that I'd imagined seeing him at all. Perhaps, I was losing my sanity. Was it possible that I had already spent too much time in the land of twilight? Was I slipping away? Most of all, was that a more comforting thought than actually encountering the King of the Goblins?

My questions came crashing down around me as my feet hit the soft earth and the smell of broken dreams assaulted my senses. More precisely, it was the smell of stolen glances, moonlight, and half-empty wine glasses. Crimson filled my vision, but my feet kept dancing. The music had changed once more and the couples had not separated, they dashed about the clearing in swirling clouds of color.

"You precious thing, what whim of fate brought you spiraling into my arms?" His laughing voice sang softly into my ear. Fear and anticipation hollowed out my stomach and sent my heart beating against my ribcage.

 _And I run from wolves  
_ _Breathing heavily  
_ _At my feet  
_ _And I run from wolves  
_ _Tearing into me  
_ _Without teeth_

Words fled me. Thoughts were completely abandoned. I was made up entirely of sensation and nerve endings. His hand grasping mine, his fingers curled perfectly into my waist, the brush of his hair against my neck. My heart was slamming in time with the tick of the clock at the far end of the clearing. Before I could utter a syllable, everything stopped.

The dancers turned toward the ivy throne as the clock chimed out a tune of its own. Jareth held my wrist firmly with his gloved hand but his attention, like everyone else's was on the glittering swirl of mist swallowing the empty throne. Slowly it twined about the ivy chair, sinking slowly to the forest floor where it spread, and covered the feet of the still audience. As the mist traveled across the landscape a hearty chuckle chimed through the clearing like a morning bell. I caught only a glimpse of the Winter King. He was tall and fair with auburn hair that curled merrily about his youthful face. But, all the other revelers had sunk into deep bows, so I followed suit. Through the corner of my eye I watched Jareth direct a friendly nod in the direction of the Winter King.

"Friends" boomed the voice of the Winter King, "stand, dance, love! Get on with the celebrations. There will be time enough for petty courtesies." I raised myself up and watched as the jolly fellow grabbed a dainty dark haired woman who he quickly pulled into the reawakened dance.

"No decorum, that's the problem with the Autumn Court, although the Summer is much worse. Once the season matures, however, we will see some real formality. The Winter Court is serious business." Chuckled Jareth.

How had I forgotten him? His voice gave me a violent start. "You didn't even bow." I blurted out in rattled confusion.

"Of course not—he is king for but a season. I am always a king." His grinned as he deftly pulled me back into the dance.

"The real question is how you came to be a spectator of this glorious advent?" An eyebrow arched skyward.

"I'm allowed my amusements you are not _my_ king. I owe you no explanation." Bravery was returning to me. He may have set my heart racing, but he was still the Goblin King and I was still Sarah Williams, champion of the Labyrinth. I held my head higher and played the part of a good courtesan.

"Oh, of course, I have no power over you whatsoever, darling." His leer belied his words as he expertly maneuvered me into a dip and held me there just long enough for the position's tension to creep along my spine. It was hard to understand why he was so civil, so unaffected. I'd beaten him, surly that had rankled his pride, abused his ego. Shouldn't he be furious with me?

"No harm done then? You're not harboring any hard feelings, your majesty?" I narrowed my eyes. Tension radiated from my back to my shoulders as he continued to hold me in the precarious dip.

He frowned for only a moment before a heart-stopping grin enlivened his face. "That's ancient history, dear girl. Besides, all is fair in love and war."

"Exactly," I said as he righted me, I didn't pause to consider his words carefully, dancing was more fun than worrying. It was curious how easily we moved together. Never did he step on my toe or snag my dress. The Goblin King was grace incarnate, I suppose I should have known that, but I'd only ever danced with him once upon a peach induced dream.

"We've been dancing for hours you know." He stated casually.

"It's only been a moment." I replied lightly. But how long had I been there? Was it hours or days? Could I have been dancing in the twilight for honest centuries?

"You've got that doe-eyed, punch drunk look about your eyes." He smiled.

"Oh?" He was right. I felt the blood singing in my veins. I was nearly feverish.

"Miss Williams, I believe it is time for you to go home." Jareth pulled me to him and whispered in my ear.

My eyelids felt heavy and my thoughts were faltering. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right.

"I suppose." I drew back and gave him my best impression of sobriety.

"Do you wish to go home, Sarah?" A gloved finger tilted my head up to stare into his ice blue eyes.

"Yes." I leaned back into him. The world was crimson.

 _You hover like a hummingbird  
_ _Haunt me in my sleep  
_ _You're sailing from another world  
_ _Sinking in my sea  
_ _You're feeding on my energy  
_ _I'm letting go of it  
_ _She wants it_

Cold. That's the first real thought that I had. It was absolutely freezing and I stood outside my house shivering barefoot and wrapped in red gauze like some absurd present.

"Damn!" I rasped. My entire body was sore and my head ached. Thirst made my throat and mouth dry. I scampered to the front door and tried to turn the nob but it refused to budge. My backpack was nowhere to be seen so I was keyless.

"Curses…curses…curses…" I muttered each time my abused feet danced upon the frozen ground. The backdoor was rarely ever locked, I just had to climb a tree to get over the fence to gain access to it. It was all very tedious, but after what felt like an eternity, I reached my bedroom.

I scared myself to death as I pulled open the bedroom door and glimpsed a pale figure. It was only my reflection in the mirror across the room. Sighing out what would've been an embarrassing shriek, I moved closer to the mirror shocked by what I saw there. Wild hair and bright eyes. A mad women bedecked in finery. I was beautiful. A smug smile curved my lips. What must Jareth have thought of me?

Carelessly, I flung the dress off and over the back of a chair and pulled on a huge t-shirt with Ziggy Stardust's face printed across it. I was so happy to collapse onto my bed.

 _Do you wish to go home, Sarah?_

My eyes flashed open.

Had I been foolish enough to allow the King of Dreams* to grant me a wish...again?

 _Yes_.

I rolled out of bed and hurried to the crystal covered window that overlooked the street. He was nowhere in sight, but I couldn't miss the swirling note written in frost across the window pane.

 _What's said is said_.

 _I can see through you  
_ _We are the same  
_ _It's perfectly strange  
_ _You run in my veins  
_ _How can I keep you  
_ _Inside my lungs  
_ _I breathe what is yours  
_ _You breathe what is mine_

* * *

*The King of Dreams is a title Subtilor uses to refer to Jareth in Thrice Upon A Time (I believe, I'm too lazy to check, but it is one of the shorter stories). I just really like that imagery. And, our favorite GK does dabble in dreams, so it works for me.

The song is Wolves without Teeth. It is a great song. You should be listening to it!


End file.
